latin america
Anthony Bourdain visits ‘Little Guatemala’ in L.A.’s Westlake District (video)
Multi-ethnic sanctuary city Los Angeles is full of ethnic neighborhoods — Little Tokyo, Little Armenia, Tehrangeles, and more. In this episode of his CNN series, Anthony Bourdain stops by the nighttime food market in L.A.’s Westlake District – Little Guatemala.
Peep this glorious picture postcard from Peru (video)
It’s not just Machu Picchu and women in traditional Andean dress and penguins and llamas and/or alpacas. Peru is amazingly beautiful. Also our MiJA, Elise Valderrama, is from there. PRO TRAVEL TIP: Summer’s just starting in Peru! Andale!
ZUBI to the rescue if you hate Mexicans and that taco emoji (video)
Advertising agency ZUBI (in Florida, of course) steps up for the minority of “Latinos” and “Hispanics” who aren’t Mexican — and people who hate tacos. Because “Latino emotions,” tu sabes, are different and require special emoji.
Mas…ZUBI to the rescue if you hate Mexicans and that taco emoji (video)
Gene genie: Mexico is happier than the average bear because science
Why are Mexicans happier than the average bear?
It’s in their genes, according to a new scientific paper, which asserts that nations with the highest prevalence of the A allele also perceive themselves happiest — countries like Ghana and Nigeria in West Africa, and northern Latin American nations like Mexico and Columbia.
Mas…Gene genie: Mexico is happier than the average bear because science
Nom nom nom: The pastries of South America (video)
Got your cafecito ready? Sit down at the mesa and enjoy delicious fracturas from Argentina and sweet quesadillas from Ecuador.
Freaky Flowers: Echinopsis Cacti in Bloom (video)
Greg Krehel aka Echinopsis Freak loves Echinopsis Cacti, which are native to South America He hopes you like his cactus video, too:
A montage of a dozen types of Echinopsis cactus flowers blooming. And wilting. And just generally showing off their mind-blowing colors. My favorite cactus flowerings from the 2014 blooming season.
Pocho Ocho Important Facts for Mexicans about El Ocho de Mayo
Our Mexican friends have many misconceptions about today’s American celebration of El Ocho de Mayo. It is NOT the day the British burned the White House, for example, and it is NOT the day Gerry Rivers became Geraldo Rivera.
Help a hermano out with the Pocho Ocho Top Facts Mexicans Should Know about El Ocho de Mayo:
8. Best (Hellman’s in the East) Mayonnaise — El Jefe de Mayo — first introduced on this day in 1915.
7. Mayo West did not invent the life vest but she did flash her chichis to the sailors of the aircraft carrier USS Hooter on this day in 1942.
6. The Mayo Clinic — originally established to seek cures for La Cruda — opened its doors on this day in 1955.
Mas…Pocho Ocho Important Facts for Mexicans about El Ocho de Mayo
Hello, ‘I’m from Colombia,’ and I am not a cocaine mule (video)
When Yeimi Salazar came to New York City from Colombia, everyone assumed she was involved with cocaine. So she became a nose.
Who are these so-called U.S. ‘Hispanics’? They’re Mex to the max
Mexican-Americans — all 34 million — make up over two-thirds of the U.S. Latino population according to the Pew Research Organization:
Mas…Who are these so-called U.S. ‘Hispanics’? They’re Mex to the max
Pocho History 101: El Presidente de San Marcos is killed (video)
It was on this day in 1971 that right-wing conspirators assassinated the democratically-elected president of the small Latin American country of San Marcos and replaced him with a military dictator. Howard Cosell reports.
PREVIOUSLY ON POCHO HISTORY 101:
Mas…Pocho History 101: El Presidente de San Marcos is killed (video)
Fashion Forward Victims: Miss Universe ‘National Costumes’ (photos)
The Miss Universe 2013 competition begins this weekend in Moscow and the pre-show festivities Monday included a photo session to show off the “national costumes” for each country’s entrant. Above is Miss Mexico, Cynthia Duque, (left) and Miss Ecuador, Constanza Báez.
Meet Miss Brazil, Jakelyne Oliveira:
Mas…Fashion Forward Victims: Miss Universe ‘National Costumes’ (photos)
Pocha Podcast #2: Sexism, feminism, football and IT (NSFW audio)
Pochas Elise Roedenbeck and me, Sara Inés Calderón, have a grand old time talking about sexism and feminism. Isn’t it interesting that, even though the U.S. had a “feminist movement,” we have never elected a woman president, and the wage gap between men and women in Latin America is smaller than it is here?
And other sexist stuff: What about football, how sexist is that, ey? And IT? Being a woman in the U.S. may seem like fun and games, given that whole reproductive rights discussion, but there are some downsides.
Mas…Pocha Podcast #2: Sexism, feminism, football and IT (NSFW audio)
Pocho Ocho Mexican products unlikely to make it in the U.S.
Remember how Chevrolet totally FAILED when they introduced the Chevy Nova (photo) because “no va” means “it doesn’t go” in Spanish and people all over Latin America just laughed and laughed at the stupid gringos and didn’t buy any Novas? That story is bullshit.
But English en Espanol can be as wack as Spanish in Ingles, and that’s why these Pocho Ocho Mexican products have bleak sales prospects in Los United Estates:
8. Bicho Killer insecticide
7. Her Pez canned tuna
6. Golden Piscina bubble bath
Mas…Pocho Ocho Mexican products unlikely to make it in the U.S.
Amazon dinosaur hunt? What else could these pictographs be? (video)
ZOMG! Do these 5000-year-old pictographs show men chasing and spearing a sauropod dinosaur, ages after the giant reptiles’ alleged extinction? Does this mean the Biblical creation story is right and science is wrong? In this new Amazon rainforest video, Canadian “creationist” Vance Nelson is very impressed by a “secular” expert’s testimony, but he can’t get the expert to testify on camera.
Are the South American tribesmen chasing a huge alligator or is it something else? Is this “creationist” piling inference upon speculation to reach unwarranted conclusions to support his religious agenda? Our ancestors painted pictures of dragons and unicorns, too. Does that mean they existed as well?
Hollywood Spaniards, Puerto Ricans plan ‘ultimate’ Chicano film
(PNS reporting from HOLLYWOOD) Following the warm reception to the upcoming César Chávez biopic, producers in Hollywood have mounted an international effort to produce the “most extensive Chicano film in history.”
The production not only features an all-star cast from the United States and Latin America but also includes both factual and fictitious events in Chicano history.
“The idea is to jam pack as much history, culture and entertainment into two hours of film so that young Chicanos don’t have to read any books to learn about who they are,” said the project’s director, Pedro Almodóvar.
“In fact, if possible we are going to try to make the two hours into an hour-and-a-half, because our target audience has no attention span.”
Mas…Hollywood Spaniards, Puerto Ricans plan ‘ultimate’ Chicano film